What's Inside Allison Williams' Makeup Bag

Allison Williams’ relationship with makeup has come a long way since she was a kid--a kid who regularly applied a faux Marilyn Monroe-like mole to her face. “I've always loved playing with makeup,” says the actress. These days, she’s more likely to use a makeup brush to contour. “I shade my temples, hairline, under my cheekbones, under my chin, and on either side of the bridge of my nose,” a trick she picked up on the set of Girls.
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Williams uses Jouer’s Mineral Bronzing Powder ($28) in Suntan and Alcone’s Contour Brush ($29).

“I used to sneak away at dinners, go to the bathroom, and put on my grandma’s lipstick when I was a kid,” Williams says. “I wouldn’t expect anyone to notice; I’d come back to the table and be like ‘What?’” Now she favors Jouer’s lip products. “I find the Lip Liner ($20) and the Moisturizing Gloss ($20) work really well together. I layer them on and they give each other really great color. That they smell like mint is an added bonus!”

Given her love of makeup, it’s not surprising that Williams likes polished skin even on her days off: “I wear Laura Mercier’s Secret Camouflage ($30) because it doesn’t dry out and Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation ($60)--it’s so light and doesn’t cake. Then Koh Gen Do’s Lighting Powder sets the foundation for hours so that I don’t have to touch my face.”

Williams doesn’t stick to a strict skincare regimen, but she does have one rule: “I always wash my face in the morning with the Simple Foaming Cleanser ($8) and a piece of sterile gauze because washcloths trap bacteria,” she says. “Then I’ll use a makeup removing wipe to make sure that I don’t have any eye makeup on my eyes.”

Williams uses Shiseido’s Luminizing Satin Face Color ($30) to highlight underneath her brows, the top of her cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, and the inner corners of her eyes. “It makes you look like you just had your makeup professionally done,” she says.

“I apply the Urban Decay Eyelid Primer ($20) every day of my life,” says Williams. She’ll top it off with a mix of Jouer’s Creme Eyeshadows ($20) on the lid or Sephora’s Colorful Eyeshadow ($13) in Black Lace along the lash line. “Then I use a nude Nars pencil to line my lower waterline. I used to use white, which is a little scary.”

After washing her face in the morning, Williams uses Simple’s Revitalizing Eye Roll-On ($10): “The rollerball is nice and cool and reduces puffiness, making the dark shadows go away. I find I can use less makeup when I use it,” she says. If she’s going to be outdoors, Williams will wear the brand’s Protecting Light Moisturizer. “Honestly it’s the first sunscreen that hasn’t made my skin freak out,” she says.